n. [ OF. trac track of horses, mules, trace of animals; of Teutonic origin; cf.D. trek a drawing, trekken to draw, travel, march, MHG. trechen, pret. trach. Cf. Trick. ] 1. A mark left by something that has passed along; as, the track, or wake, of a ship; the track of a meteor; the track of a sled or a wheel. [ 1913 Webster ]

The bright track of his fiery car. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or beast; trace; vestige; footprint. [ 1913 Webster ]

Far from track of men. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) The entire lower surface of the foot; -- said of birds, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A road; a beaten path. [ 1913 Webster ]

Behold Torquatus the same track pursue. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Course; way; as, the track of a comet. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A path or course laid out for a race, for exercise, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Railroad) The permanent way; the rails. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. [ Perhaps a mistake for tract. ] A tract or area, as of land. [ Obs. ] “Small tracks of ground.” Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

Track scale, a railway scale. See under Railway. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. tracked p. pr. & vb. n. tracking. ] To follow the tracks or traces of; to pursue by following the marks of the feet; to trace; to trail; as, to track a deer in the snow. [ 1913 Webster ]

It was often found impossible to track the robbers to their retreats among the hills and morasses. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) To draw along continuously, as a vessel, by a line, men or animals on shore being the motive power; to tow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of tracking, or towing, as a boat; towage. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Railroads) Lines of track, collectively; as, an extensive trackage. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, tracks or pursues, as a man or dog that follows game. [ 1913 Webster ]

And of the trackers of the deer
Scarce half the lessening pack was near. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mus.) In the organ, a light strip of wood connecting (in path) a key and a pallet, to communicate motion by pulling. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Railroads) Any workman engaged in work involved in putting the track in place. [ U. S. & Canada ] -- Track"lay`ing, n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

a. Having no track; marked by no footsteps; untrodden; as, a trackless desert. [ 1913 Webster ]

To climb the trackless mountain all unseen. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Track"less*ly, adv.-Track"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. -men /plu>. (Railroads) One employed on work on the track; specif., a trackwalker. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Railroad) One who has charge of the track; -- called also roadmaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A towing path. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Trackschuyt. [ 1913 Webster ]